Tag Archives: Jiu-Jitsu

Jul31

Most girls dream about their future wedding…

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Most girls dream about their future wedding…

I never did.

I did, however, daydream about how I’d most like to receive my new belt. In my ideal world, my old friends from Betsy’s Jiu-Jitsu Journey Part 1 would be there. They would understand how much finally getting this belt after 16 months away and having to start over would mean to me.

The students in my beginner class, meh. They’d sort of care, but also not, with the possible exception of the few other females.

I commented to Instructor and Mrs. Instructor that it would be nice to get the new belt when the blue belt students were around. Mrs. Instructor laughed and reminded me that it’s meant to be a surprise.

I was indeed surprised. At the end of a class, Instructor awarded a stripe to one student. Then he did the recap of the day’s lesson, signaling to me that the awarding of promotions was over. Disappointed, but whatever, I let my gi top hang around my waist to cool off, thus making me to look like an idiot (aka, my natural state) when the moment came.

See that big line up of dudes? Only a couple of them know me.

HOWEVER, it just so happened that one blue belt friend from the old days WAS there. Not only that, he was standing right next to me. If I could only choose one person from back then, this is the one I would have chosen. It was truly a blessing to me that he was there.

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Jul27

Turns out, you can accomplish something when you work really really hard at it. Who knew?

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Turns out, you can accomplish something when you work really really hard at it. Who knew?

Yet another previously written post, but I had good reason to delay publishing.

The writing was slowly appearing on the wall. The beginner Jiu-Jitsu class was becoming too basic. I’d lingered longer than a normal person would because I wanted to soak up every last detail.

Then when a student I’d been helping when he was relatively new earned his fourth stripe, I knew I had overstayed my welcome.

With this new resolve, after class one day, I approached Instructor.

“When do you think I’ll be ready to test?” I asked.

He looked down, thoughtful, then turned to his brother.

Surfer Dude looked at me. “Now?”

I rapid fire blinked at him.

“Yeah, do you want to do it now?” Instructor asked.

“What? Uhhh.” I had not expected this response, and I was not prepared to test on the spot.

“Do you want to watch the demo videos first?” SD asked and suggested I print the test pages which list the moves for each of the four main drills.

I agreed with this plan and left in a daze.

Before I had completed my old card, the gym’s system changed, and I got a brand new card. Remember how uptight I was about getting marks for Class 20? Turns out, it didn’t matter. I’ve got plenty of twenty now.

Having made the decision to test, I needed to prepare. The best person to help me was someone who knew enough Jiu-Jitsu to be a knowledgeable “bad guy.”

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Jul25

Where the devil is

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Here’s another old, unpublished post, originally written in June.

Instructor is trying to get me test-ready. It’s both flattering and a little maddening. Flattering because I’ve noticed he gives me line edits, as we say in my industry, rather than high-level suggestions. I’m past the basics, and he wants perfection.

That’s cool, but the maddening part is it means yet MORE details to learn and memorize. And they seem to keep being updated. Now I can’t use my hands or feet to get to modified sidemount. I’m to sliiiiide. Also, I felt my foot being lifted and placed back on the mat, toes flat, not propped up. The extra sad part is, Instructor had to do that twice. :/

Would that really be a point deduction? Quite possibly. Instructor is getting better and becoming more demanding. No actual complaint on that, but it’s making all of this harder. Will I ever finish? Will I ever have it all down and be ready for testing?

Hey look there’s me! Sitting apart from the guys. I don’t know why. They smell? I smell?

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Jul20

The reflex development that was

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The reflex development that was

I wrote this at least two months ago, but, for whatever reason, never posted it. Better late than never?

After regular Friday Jiu-Jitsu is an hour-long Reflex Development (RD) class. One Friday, after the first class ended, I sat on the bench, holding my socks. Should I put them on and leave? I surveyed the assembled students: a couple Master Cycle people, one who intimidated me a little, and two Combatives (my class) students whom I wasn’t fond of working with for one reason or another through no real fault of their own.

Surfer Dude began instructions, paused, looked at me, and said, “Are you staying for RD, Betsy?”

“I’m not sure yet,” I said.

Instructor spoke up. “Yes, you are,” he said firmly. “I’m not letting you leave here without doing RD.”

Well, okay, then. I was glad to have the decision made for me. Then one of my chicas showed up, so I was happy and comfortable working with her.

(It wasn’t this chica, but…) Mrs. Instructor, who posts pics on socials, commented that I’m smiling in nearly all of them. How can I not be?

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Jul16

Bonding over T-shirts

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Bonding over T-shirts
I had a fun little chat with a man wearing this shirt at Costco. I agree, but I like more than three people.

He appreciated the shirt I was wearing too.

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Jun7

Stay or leave, I want you not to go, but you should [maybe]–Dave Matthews

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Stay or leave, I want you not to go, but you should [maybe]–Dave Matthews

Jacqui at Word Dreams suggested I write a memoir about my martial arts experience. I’m intrigued by the idea. I do enjoy writing books and recently learned there’s a Polish version of my parenting book. (There’s also a Polish translation of my first book. Good ol’ Poles!)

The problem is, it’s hard to start a book when you don’t know the ending. Will it be book-worthy? Betsy takes on the world and succeeds against all odds–Yes. Betsy does martial arts for a few years then quits because her body can’t take it any more?–Not so much.

But I worry that could be my fate.

Here’s the thing: my lower extremities hate me. Still. I wear my ankle brace constantly, and I’ve been back to sitting on the shower floor for months. The first time I decided to sit because my feet can’t take the pressure, I sort of smiled inwardly, in a sad ironic way, and thought, “Hello, shower floor, my old friend,” because I tend to think in modified song lyrics.

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May19

Developing Reflexes

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Developing Reflexes

It was a large Reflex Development class Friday night, including four Master Cycle students. Often the MCers are paired with lowly white belts like me so as to help us. One of those MC women loves to be helpful, which is great, but also… not helpful. Should I be paired with her, I was formulating how I might kindly ask her to let me think through the moves rather than her telling me them.

When it was time to partner up, I hung back, letting the chips fall where they may, and taking whomever Instructor assigned me. Everyone who stepped from the wall looked around at each other and quickly paired up. By staying against the wall, I became invisible. Thus, a new strategy was born. When there’s an odd number of people (and I’m the oddest one), the straggler goes to…

Surfer Dude.

Score!

He’s second in command and sometimes teaches, giving Instructor a day off. In fact, recently, I was demo partner with SD instead of being the SD (demo partner) for Instructor. That was kind of trippy and fun.

Come on, Betsy, get it! SD loves to make me work for those arm bars. Instructor has since taught me a new way to break the arm free. My first thought was, “I’ve got to remember to use this on SD.”

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May3

A story about oranges … but also somewhat Jiu-Jitsu, of course

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A story about oranges … but also somewhat Jiu-Jitsu, of course

First, let me take you back to a fine afternoon in early April. As it is wont to do, my mind was on Jiu-Jitsu, what class we’d be doing in Jiu-Jitsu, how many more hours until Jiu-Jitsu. Finally, overflowing with eager anticipation, I messaged Mrs. Instructor.

I had not. I needed to check this out. Here it was:

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Apr28

Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me

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Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me

I finally finally FINALLY made it to a legit Class 20, the one I conned cajoled kindly asked Surfer Dude to give me an X on my card for after I demonstrated mastery and played 5,000 rounds of rock, paper, scissors.

I returned the next day for class 21, and what did I see on my card????

No second X for class 20!

I approached SD at the desk and pointed out the problem. “Of all the classes for me to miss getting a second X. The one for which I worked so hard to get the first X.”

“Let’s do rock, paper, scissors,” he suggested.

“No!” I fake-yelled and walked away as he marked my card.

“Not even for fun?” he asked.

“Well, okay.” I returned to the desk. I shot rock. He threw down

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Apr22

Redemption!

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Redemption!

I studied up. I watched the videos and did multiple mental reps to prep for the next mini Reflex Development class.

I knew the moves before the first mini RD, yet they eluded me when I needed them. Not this time, brain. Not this time.

I messaged Mrs. Instructor:

Since I was the only one staying for RD, lounging solo on the mat, waiting, Instructor walked over and said something roughly to the effect of, “When Surfer Dude is ready, just do a minute each of mount control.”

“Okay,” I said, disheartened. I wanted to prove myself by doing the moves I had utterly failed at the first night.

However, SD sauntered over, not having been given instructions, and said, “Let’s do the stuff we did the first night.” That you utterly failed at was kindly left unsaid.

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